This is a hodge-podge of grammar-related and linguistic trivia, including famous first and last words, dying languages, and puns such as “The Syntax of Sin Tax.” A “Best of the Blog” feature looks at how sports club owners got wealthy enough to own their teams, something the author calls his “dream job.” Finally, there’s a glimpse at what might have been had actors accepted some of the famous roles for which they were considered. It’s a fun balance between grammar-nerd nuggets and word-association knowledge — such as the overview of Chicago culture by way of the Chicago Manual of Style.

The literary icon of the beat generation took his muse from the complications of his youth: a schizophrenic mother and a demanding father, as well as the search for self in straight-laced mid-century America. Inspired by the likes of Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs, Ginsberg created a new style, raging against the constrictions of traditional poetry and become himself an inspiration to artists of all stripes, including Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Philip Glass, and U2. Along with a digestible biography, the article also includes a primer on Howl, his watershed poetry collection.